Three familiar names that could interest Cardiff in January

Cardiff were linked with Ronaldo Vieira in the summer, only for Neil Warnock to shoot it down. The Sun and The Mirror both claimed a £7m move was imminent, only for Warnock to reveal: “We’ve been linked quite a few times with him and from about four different agents I think, so I don’t know which one of them put it in the press! When I read a couple of things in the papers, I think ‘have I not said no about this player before?”

Vieira in stead moved to Sampdoria for £6m, where he has made just four starts to date and is a regular unused substitiute. It remains to be seen if Warnock would now feel any warmer to the idea. After all, this is a player that the boffins at the CIES Football Observatory rated as one of the top 20 teenage prospects in Europe and the 3rd best teenage prospect in England behind Tom Davies of Everton and Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham.

If Cardiff are in the market for a European based, combative midfield destroyer on a temporary deal, then the rangy Vieria may be a shrewd bet.

Cast your minds back to the summer, when Cardiff were being linked with Tolgay Arslan every five minutes. The German midfielder was also mentioned in the same breath as Inter Milan and Roma, making it all the more implausible. Well suffice to say, it never happened and he remains in Turkey, but maybe not for much longer.

Besiktas are on their uppers and slashing costs like there’s no tomorrow. Despite reaching the last 16 of the Champions League last season, they have already released Pepe, one of their highest earners, and Ryan Babel could be next. Aslan has a long term contract, but if his agents are likely to have anything to do with it, he may well be on the move next month too. A fee of £7m was mooted in the summer and would likely be less now and a loan deal may also be an option.

Former Manchester City attacker Nolito is currently holding down the bench at Sevilla, indulged only when the Spanish Cup or Europa League rolls around. The Spanish international cost City £16m in 2016 and Sevilla £6m a year later.

A ferocious attacking midfielder, Nolito just turned 32 and will be keen to find regular first team football at this stage of his career. Reflecting on his time at City, Nolito has claimed “I scored six goals at the start and then, suddenly, he clipped my wings.” He was sidelined for three months and eventually sold, as City quickly outgrew him.

It may prove difficult to tempt Nolito away from his native Spain again, especially while Sevilla remain in the Europa League, but at this stage of his career, he will want to be playing regularly and may have unfinished Premier League business. You don’t know if you don’t ask.